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There was another long silence。 Only the hiss of static told Groves that the line was still open。
“Is there anything else； General？”
“Put the package back together and sail at 0800 as ordered；” said Groves brusquely。 “With one
difference。 Finn won’t be sailing with you。 He’ll stay behind and find out what the hell
happened。”
“You’re sure his security clearance is up to the job？”
Groves ignored the sarcastic question。
“Thanks for the help； Admiral。 The next time I want something delivered； I’ll use the Army。”
General Groves broke the connection； sat down in a desk chair and immediately began to dial
another number。 After the third try； he gave up。 His hands were shaking too much to continue。
Lattimer took the phone from him。
“What number； sir？”
“Washington。 Hoover。 Federal Bureau of Investigation。 Goddamn everything to hell！”
Lattimer wiped the sweat off his lips and began to dial。
Juarez
2 Hours 7 Minutes After Trinity
Takagura Omi picked up the receiver； silencing the telephone’s strident ring。 At the moment； the
patriarch of Mexico’s Oriental population was alone in his office； waiting for this call。 Kestrel’s
voice came to him across the wire； distorted by distance and emotion。 He spoke rapid Japanese。
“Just before dawn；” said Kestrel； “my host staged an incredible event。 I was blinded by the light；
deafened by the sound and felt heat as from a rising sun。 I was at least ten miles away from the
event。 It was like nothing ever before seen on earth。”
Takagura waited； but Kestrel said no more。 With a sigh； Takagura spoke。 “Are you sure Japan
has seen nothing like it？ Not even the resemblance between baby and adult？”
“Japan has nothing like what I saw。 Please advise our father that a new sun rose this morning；
and it rose on a new world。 Old ideas of honor and ignominy must be examined in the light of
the new sun。 Do you understand me？”
“Are you advising our father to bow to a barbarian dawn？”
“Even samurai can’t fight the sun。”
Potsdam
2 Hours 13 Minutes After Trinity
（Cable received by President Truman。 Decoded。）
URANIUM STOLEN FROM HUNTERS POINT。 REPEAT。 URANIUM STOLEN。 WILL
KEEP YOU ADVISED。 MAJ。 GEN。 LESLIE GROVES
（Reply。 Decoded。）
FIND THAT URANIUM BY 0530； 18 JULY； OR I WILL BE FORCED TO MAKE GO
DECISION FOR FINAL STAGES OF OPERATION DOWNFALL。 ONCE I HAVE
DONE THAT； THERE IS NO TURNING BACK。 REPEAT。 FIND URANIUM BY 0530； 18
JULY； NEW MEXICO TIME； OR MANHATTAN PROJECT WILL BE NOTHING BUT A
FOOTNOTE IN THE HISTORY OF WORLD WAR II。 PRESIDENT HARRY S TRUMAN
（Reply。 Decoded。）
RESPECTFULLY REMIND MR。 PRESIDENT THAT BOMBING IS NOT SCHEDULED
FOR SEVERAL WEEKS。 PLEASE GIVE US MORE TIME TO RECOVER URANIUM。
MAJ。 GEN。 LESLIE GROVES
Page 60
（Reply。 Decoded。）
ONLY A HORSE’S ASS WOULD GO TO WAR WITH ONE BOMB。 DO WHATEVER
YOU HAVE TO。 BUT RECOVER URANIUM BY 0530 OF JULY 18。 IF YOU DON’T；
THE SHOW WILL GO ON WITHOUT YOU。
THAT IS FINAL。 REPEAT。 FINAL。 PRESIDENT HARRY S TRUMAN
Washington； D。C。
2 Hours 26 Minutes After Trinity
“Gencral Groves is on the line now； sir；”
J。 Edgar Hoover’s manicured hand closed over the phone。 Although he had rushed to his office
after receiving the President’s extraordinary call； Hoover was dressed to the same exacting
standard he required of his agents。
“Good morning； General。” Hoover’s voice was moderate； his diction as precise as the crease in
his pants。 “The President told me you would give your complete cooperation in the Bureau’s
investigation of the incident at Hunters Point。”
“You must have had a fuzzy connection； Mr。 Hoover。”
“What？”
“The FBI is cooperating with me； not the other way around。”
Groves’ voice was gruff and uncompromising。 He was one of the few officials in Washington
who did not owe J。 Edgar Hoover the time of day。
“The President；” said Hoover coldly； “didn’t tell me what he needed the FBI to investigate。 My
men are the best in the world； General； but they must at least know the nature of the crime they
are to solve。”
“Theft of a highly secret material。”
“Yes。 Well…？”
Groves said nothing。
“What； precisely； was stolen？”
“Until ten minutes ago； there were four men in the United States who had the security clearance
to answer your question。 I just gave official clearance to a fifth。 His name is Finn。 He’s in charge
of the Hunters Point investigation。 He’ll tell your agents what he thinks they need to know in
order to help him。”
“That’s arrogant nonsense！ I can’t send my agents on a Top Secret snipe hunt when I don’t even
know – “
“Can’t or won’t？” cut in Groves。 “The President told you to cooperate。 Who’s running this
country – you or Truman？”
“The President； of course！” snapped Hoover。 “Not you。”
“At least we agree on who’s President。 Now you just hang up and get on the telephone to
Potsdam and let President Truman explain what bis FBI agents can or can’t do。”
Over California
2 Hours 26 Minutes After Trinity
The pitch of the C…46’s engines changed slightly； waking Finn。 He stretched stiffly and looked
out the window。 Beneath the plane’s nose； night had dissolved into luminous gray。 He tapped
the copilot’s shoulder。
“How long？”
“About twenty minutes。” He looked at Finn’s jeans and boots； then at his face。 “Uh； should I be
calling you； ‘sir’？”
“Don’t bother。” Finn flexed his body； trying to restore circulation to stiff muscles。 “How
soon？”
“Half an hour； at most。 I’m already picking up commercial radio from San Franc。 Uh； I want to
Page 61
thank you for not throwing up all over the place back there。 We did the best we could； but it was
a sure…enough bastard。” He motioned toward a spare set of earphones hanging from a clip。
“Catch up on the world。 The news is just coming on。”
Finn pulled on the headphones。 The reception was scratchy； but the level unaccented voice of
the newscaster came through clearly。
“… Truman arrived yesterday in Potsdam for a summit meeting that most analysts agree will set
the shape of the postwar world。 His meetings with English and Soviet leaders begin later today。”
Finn smiled to himself； imagining what Truman would tell Stalin about the atomic bomb。
“In news closer to home； Congress begins debate today on aid for veterans。 In New Mexico； a
munitions dump exploded with a flash that was seen fifty miles away and a boom that was heard
five times as far。 No one was hurt。”
Finn’s pulse raced and the words of the newscaster faded as he lifted off the headset； staring at
the earphones without seeing them。 That was no ammo dump that had exploded。 There was not
enough ammunition in the entire state of New Mexico to account for a blast that could be heard
for 250 miles。 Manhattan Project had given birth today； spectacularly。 He tried to calculate the
explosive power involved； but gave up； accepting Groves’ estimate of 20；000 tons of TNT。
There was only one kind of target big enough to warrant such a bomb – a city。 Manhattan’s child
was raw； awesome power； power intended to terrify an enemy into submission。
He hoped it would do just that。 He hoped that children would never again rain down into the
sea。 The death of a city was a terrible price to pay for the end of the war； but was a lesser evil
than an invasion that killed millions by ones and twos and drove mothers to destroy their own
children。
Finn left the disembodied newsman’s voice dangling from a cockpit clip。 He returned to his
bench and dozed against the wall； dreaming in shades of green； a familiar dream； where children
struggled and screamed silently but still could not fly。
The tires shrieked as the plane touched the runway at Alameda Air Station outside of Oakland。
A crisp seaman met him at the foot of the ladder。
“Captain Finn；” he said； saluting。 “I have a message for you from Code Name Relief。”
Finn； expecting to hear of the bomb’s success； yawned and said； “Give it to me。”
“The message is： ‘Someone opened the oyster。 The pearl is gone。’”
Adrenaline flashed through Finn’s body； burning away the drugged residue of a sleepless night。
The world narrowed to a single instant – now。 He leaned toward the sailor。 “Repeat that。”
“Yes； sir；” said the sailor； backing away from Finn。 He repeated the message with the precision
of a man used to relating nonsense codes。 “ ‘Someone opened the oyster。 The pearl is gone。’”
He waited。 When Finn made no further demands； the sailor added； “Here is a new set of orders；
sir。 You’re supposed to call this number on the base。 If you’ll follow me； there’s a phone right
off the flight apron。”
Finn followed automatically。 He did not see the buildings or hear the planes taking off。 His
whole being was focused on a single question： Who had taken the uranium？ Kestrel？ No； he had
not had enough time to get from the test to Hunters Point。 Masarek？ Finn thought of the cold；
competent Russian。 He had the nerve； but not the resources to steal the bomb by himself。 If it
was Masarek； he must have had help。 Refugio； certainly。 But Refugio did not have the vision or
the resources for such an incredible theft。 What of the blond woman who had been seen with
him？ Was she more than his mistress？ Was it she who had planned the theft？
“